


Old Stalkers, New Problems

by DarkenedHeart



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: (Is this the FIRST C.S.I./MacGyver Crossover???), AU, Alternate Universe, Crossover!, Drug Use, Hospitals, Implied Intent to Rape..., Insuficient Tags!, Jack was a CSI during his lifetime., Nick Stokes and Jack Dalton are the SAME Person, Nigel is CREEEEPY!!!, No rape!, Non-Consentual Touching, On-Star
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-11
Updated: 2016-11-11
Packaged: 2018-08-30 10:17:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8529214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkenedHeart/pseuds/DarkenedHeart
Summary: A CSI/MacGyver (2016) Crossover where I really only stole 'Nigel Crane' from one of the episodes.If you haven't seen (the Original) CSI  Season 2, Episode 19 "Stalker" - Then this might not make sense....*NO RAPE! Just non-consensual touching during capture, but there is intent so the warning is there for the sensitive.*The Story:Before he was Jack Dalton, super spy, he was Nick Stokes CSI 'Crime Stopper'Nigel Crane is out of prison. How does Nick react? What will happen to him?





	

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING! This writer is NOT as deep as they should be when they wrote this story. Please forgive my shortcomings.

Jack is at his apartment, flipping pancakes as his coffee brews. He glances at his watch and shrugs. He has about ten minutes before he absolutely has to leave so he won't be late picking Mac up for training. Plenty of time to eat and put on some pants.

　

A phone rings and Jack turns off the burner to go to his bedroom. The ringing continues as he pulls open a drawer with several cellphones inside.

　

He picks up a flip phone and answers, "Grissom! Long time no chat. What's up?"

　

"Nick," Gill Grissom's voice sounds strained over the phone. Jack's worry spikes in his chest. "Nigel Crane has been released from prison. I just thought you should know."

　

Jack nods uselessly as he quietly replies to his old boss, "Thanks, Grissom. I'll...I'll call you later."

　

"Be safe, Nick," the older man says sincerely, then hangs up.

　

Jack puts the phone back in the drawer slowly, his mind reeling with how it was possible for such a messed up man to make it out of prison ever, let along early. He shakes his head and rubs two hands over his face in order to snap out of it. Nigel might be free, but that doesn't mean he'd come after him. Even if his old stalker wanted to, he would never be able to track down 'Nick Stokes' now that he was 'Jack Dalton'. It was impossible. Jack and his team were too good to track.

　

The agent looks down at his phone with a frown. He picks it up and takes it apart, making it impossible for someone to trace it.

　

"I could have Riley-" Jack shakes his head, tossing the cell remains back into the drawer with the others and closing it. He isn't going to bring this up with any member of his current team. They didn't need to know. They would ask too many questions, then only worry. He could handle a little extra stress in his daily life.

　

No big deal.

　

　

-*-{One Month Later}-*-

　

　

"Jump, Jack!"

　

"Are you kidding me?!"

　

"It's the only way! Trust me!"

　

"If I die, Mac, you get nothing!"

　

"NOW, JACK!"

　

"GAHHHHHHH!"

　

Jack jumps from the building he was standing on just as the roof begins to explode. The agent flies through the air towards the other building where his partner was standing on the other side of a glass wall. Jack pulls his arms over his head as his body hits the glass, the surface shattering from the impact and letting the agent fall to the ground in the destroyed remains. Mac lowers his arms from his face, instinct having brought them up to protect his eyes, and rushes over to his partner.

　

"Jack? You okay?"

　

"No!" Jack snaps, looking around for a place to put his hand in order to stand up. Mac gives his partner a hand and helps the older man up. Jack glares at the other agent, "What is wrong with you, dude?"

　

"I weakened the glass, so I knew that your weight, as well as the force of the hit, would make it shatter and you'd be fine."

　

"I'm not talking about the fact that it worked!"

　

"Then why are you angry?"

　

"Friends do not tell friends to JUMP!"

　

"Oh."

　

Mac lets out a breathy laugh when he thinks about it. Jack eventually joins him.

　

　

When Riley arrives with the paramedics, the two agents are laughing hysterically.

　

　

\- - - -

　

　

That night, Bozer invites everyone over for a celebratory BBQ, the main reason being he was one digit away from getting Riley's entire phone number.

　

"You know you could just go through the number system and figure it out, right?" Jack teases before taking a swig of his beer. Riley glares at him.

　

"No," Wilt shakes his head with an accusing wag of his finger. "that would be dishonest and I want milady to know my integrity." He looks at his friends with a smile, "Honesty is important with meaningful relationships, am I right?"

　

Jack and Mac exchange secret looks as the blonde puts on a smile to assure his friends, "Absolutely."

　

"Speaking of honesty," Riley draws the attention from the living room where the TV was showing a game. "When did you get all these channels, Wilt? There's like a thousand."

　

"Oh!" the man brightens. "I got this really sweet deal over the internet and the guy who came to install it was super great and installed a few extras, free of charge."

　

 _"I even threw in a few movie channels for free."_ Jack forces the memory back down with another drink of beer.

　

"I didn't know you had a cable guy in here," Mac's brow furrows. "You know we go halfs on the bill. How much more is this going to cost me?"

　

"Nothing, my man!" his roommate laughs. "Nigel said it was-"

　

A crash stops Bozer form finishing. Everyone turns to Jack who is staring at his broken beer bottle on the floor. The older agent looks up with a strange expression that he quickly covers with a too-wide smile.

　

"It slipped," Jack states, moving towards the kitchen. "I'll get some towels and clean it up."

　

Riley looks to Mac worriedly and he nods to her minutely before chasing after his partner. He finds Jack out the front door, standing on the last step with a hand over his mouth.

　

The blonde checks behind himself to make sure the other two remained in the other room before stepping out and closing the front door behind himself. He frowns when Jack's shoulders twitch from the soft noise.

　

"I think we need to have a talk," Mac says simply, waiting at the top step; giving Jack space to breathe and waiting for his partner to open up.

　

Jack clears his throat and turns, lowering his hand to look at Mac with shining eyes.

　

"I worked as a CSI for a few years," Jack says quietly, sounding a little unsure of himself which was very wrong to Mac's ears. "There was this one case...I got-I had a...a stalker and he..." The agent bows his head with a shake, putting his hands on his hips. "He tried to take his own life right in front of me and about a month ago he...He got out of prison."

　

"Was his name Nigel?" Mac guesses from his partner's reaction to the name.

　

Jack nods, "He installed my cable. That's how he chose his victims. He installed their cable and....bonded, with them."

　

Mac takes the small steps to stand at his partner's side. He puts a hand on Jack's shoulder, "Why did you keep this from me? You didn't have to go through this alone, Jack."

　

"I know," the man nods. "I just..." he sighs, "I didn't want you or Riley to get worried. It isn't a big deal, because it's impossible for him to be able to find me. I was a different man back then. I went by the name Nick Stokes. He won't be able to find me."

　

"Still," Mac can hear that his partner is trying to convince himself with his own words. "It helps to have someone watching your back. Why not have Riley or Thornton check in on this guy?"

　

Jack shakes his head, "Nah, man. I'm good." He smiles at his partner, "Really."

　

"Fine," Mac gives up with a heavy breath, pulling his hand back.

　

As the two agents walk back into the house, Mac remarks, "You still need to clean up your spilt beer."

　

"Yeah, yeah."

　

　

\----

　

　

The next morning, Jack goes for a run at five AM. The sun is still hiding behind the horizon, its rays tempting the human eyes with its colors in preparation to welcome to heat source. The agent is more focused on one foot in front of the other as he rounds his favorite spot. The duck pond was nearly deserted of people. Only one other person is in the area, a figure hiding their face in a hoodie while sitting on a bench, tossing crumbs out towards the water even though there weren't any birds around.

　

As Jack nears the figure, he runs two options through his head: 1) slow down to get a good look at the person, or 2) speed up to get by quicker.

　

The figure stands before the agent can make a decision. They remove their hood and Nigel Crane's face smiles at Jack as the agent comes to a dead stop.

　

"Nick," Nigel adjusts his thick glasses. "How nice to see you again."

　

Jack shakes his head in amazement, the single word running through his head falling from his lips, "How?"

　

"I'm afraid I can't stay long," the man checks his watch then rolls his eyes. "My how time flies when meeting up with friends!"

　

"We are not friends!" Jack snaps without thinking, taking a threatening step closer.

　

"You're right," Nigel amends with a raise of his hands. He winks at the agent, "We're more than that."

　

Jack rushes at the man, but Nigel pulls something from his hoodie and holds it up in front of himself. It's a picture of a red-headed woman. She's unconscious on a tile floor.

　

"This woman is suffering from an overdose and will die if you don't call an ambulance," Nigel tells the man.

　

"Where is she?" Jack tries to grab hold of the shorter man, but he quickly runs around the bench, just a touch out of reach.

 

"The public rest rooms," Nigel tells him as he puts the photo on the bench. "Exact address on the back, but I'd hurry if I were you. She doesn't have long to live."

　

Nigel runs off. Jack doesn't waste time even thinking about chasing the man. He grabs up the photo and runs for the bathrooms.

　

He finds the woman convulsing on the ground. He dials 9-1-1 and puts it on speaker as he pushes the woman to her side.

　

　

　

The paramedics arrive twenty agonizing minutes later. Jack had to start CPR on the woman for the last five. They take her to the hospital and Jack later finds out that the woman survived.

　

"But just barely," the doctor tells him over the line. "If you hadn't found her when you did, she would have died."

　

"Thanks, Doc," Jack says hollowly as he hangs up.

　

Nigel found him.

　

Nigel was HERE.

　

_"Manners, Nick!"_

　

Jack groans as he pushes the heels of his palms into his eyes. Then his mind taunts him with a possibility.

　

If Nigel was there, what were the chances he was the man who set up Bozer's cable? What if he was hiding out in Mac's place right then and there?

　

Jack jumps up and heads straight for his car. Bozer would be at work and there was a fifty-fifty chance Mac could be home alone. He had to make sure his friend's place was safe. Just in case.

　

Jack just hoped he was worried about nothing.

　

　

\- - - -

　

　

The house is locked when Jack arrives, but he knows where the spare key is hidden and lets himself in. He re-locks the door behind himself and goes straight for the attic. Heart in his throat, Jack pulls his weapon as he opens the attic access door slowly. The space is dark and dusty like any other unused attic space and Jack pushes the door completely out of the way to pull out a light. He climbs the rest of the way in and thoroughly checks the place over.

　

There's nothing. No sign of anyone being there before Jack.

　

The agent heaves out a breath as he holsters his weapon. He heads to the door and sees something attached to the top-most side. He closes the door to get at the yellow packaged taped to it. Inside the package, there are photos of Jack, at his house, at Mac's, in his car, in the supermarket...It's a collection of at least a weeks worth of surveillance. Jack's throat closes when there's one of him sitting next to Mac, waiting to be cleared by the paramedics to leave. He's smiling. He remembers the hysteric laughs he and his partner couldn't stop after he made a leap of faith.

　

The last photo is of him in between Mac and Riley as they're walking away from the scene. There are 'X' marks on Riley and Mac's faces. Jack turns the photo over.

　

"You are mine." Is written in red.

　

　

Anger and fear dominate Jack's mind as he leaves the house. He sends a text to Mac, telling his partner he needs to change ALL of his locks and to get Bozer out of the house for a few days, if he can. 'Claim a bug problem/fumigation thing if you have to,' he suggests.

　

'What is going on, Jack?' Mac texts back.

　

'I'll explain later.' Jack's bad feeling increases with the lie. 'Gotta check out a few personal things. Watch your back.'

　

'Is this about that Nigel guy?'

　

Jack's thumb hovers over the reply button. He wants to tell his partner everything. Mac was one of the greatest minds he ever met. But...

　

Jack puts his phone in his cup holder and drives off, ignoring the ten other texts he gets afterwards.

　

　

\- - - -

　

　

Hacking was Riley's specialty, but she wasn't the only one who could do it. Jack goes to a tech guy at headquarters and has him trace the serial numbers on the back of the photos to the place where they were developed. He also has the man check security feeds of the city for Nigel's face. The tech guy only gets the address for the place where the pictures were developed.

　

Jack thanks him, tells him to keep everything he did to himself, and heads out without a word to anyone else. He thinks he hears Thornton calling after him as he gets in his car, but he ignores the voice and drives off.

　

　

　

"Yeah, that's the guy," the store manager nods to the picture Jack shows him on his phone; it's a mug shot of Nigel. "He just had a few pictures for us to develop. Seemed like an okay fella. I don't much care, as long as they pay."

　

"Do you have an address for me?"

　

"Sure do," the man nods, flipping through a paper directory before pulling out an index card to hand to the agent. "This guy owe you money? Or did he develop pictures of your girlfriend? We don't go through the pictures ourselves, plausible deniability."

　

"I actually owe him something," Jack puts down a fifty dollar bill. "Thanks, Man."

　

"Sure thing," the manager smiles as he takes the cash. "Always happy to help a customer!"

　

　

　

Jack plugs the address into his phone's GPS. It's twenty minutes away. A text from Riley obscures the directions.

　

'Stop ignoring our texts!!!!!' The message says.

　

There are about twenty missed calls and forty texts to go with it. Jack memorizes the directions and address before turning off his phone. He pulls out of the shop and dives off.

　

　

\---

　

　

"He was here and you let him LEAVE?" Riley snaps at the tech guy who was shaking in his chair.

　

"Agent Dalton is allowed to come and go as he pleases," the man points out. "How was I supposed to know he was doing something off the books?"

　

"Oh, I don't know," Riley replies sarcastically, "Maybe from the words 'keep this to yourself'? What kind of an idiot are you?"

　

"That's enough," Mac tells the woman, pulling her away from the agent. He looks at the guy, "Where did you send Jack?"

　

"A photo developing store," the agent prints out the address.

　

Riley snatches it from the man's hands and marches out of the building, Mac following quickly behind after offering the still scared agent a quick 'thanks'.

　

"We'll find him, Riley," Mac assures his friend as they get into his car; the blonde in the driver's seat.

　

"Heck yeah we will," Riley snaps out as she pulls up the directions on her laptop. "Then we're going to take turns beating some sense into his thick head."

　

Mac smiles as he drives off, idly wondering if Jack will be worse off after he's rescued than whatever situation he was in now.

　

The agent's more serious thoughts break into his humor, planting images of a bleeding and broken Jack lying on a floor. He shakes his head of it as he increases the vehicle's speed. He can't think like that. Jack was tough. One of the toughest people Mac knew.

　

He had to have faith that his partner could handle himself.

　

　

\---

　

　

Jack parks his car behind a cluster of tall bushes to hide it. He checks his weapon and opens the door to leave. He glances down at his phone that lies uselessly in his cup holder. Shaking his head, he abandons the device to sneak towards the building a few yards away.

　

It's a pleasant looking, little white house far enough away from other people to feel like it was in the middle of nowhere.

　

'It's the perfect trap,' Jack scolds himself as he hunches low to get to the back door. 'You're going to get yourself killed, you idiot!'

　

Jack can't waste time on worry or second guessing himself. His mind switches to 'mission-mode' as he nears the back door. He checks the knob carefully, it's unlocked. He eases himself inside. It's a laundry room but there are only machines, no clothes. He closes the door behind himself silently and stays low as he goes for the next door.

　

The laundry room opens to a hallway with two doors on each side. Jack checks all four slowly and carefully, remaining as silent as possible. There are no signs of life. No furniture or object of any kind, as if no one had lived there in years; and yet it was clean.

　

The end of the hall wasn't much different. There was a minimally furnished kitchen and living room; fridge, oven, couch, small TV, but not much else.

　

Jack straightens as he enters the last part of the house. There's nothing there. On a whim, he checks the fridge, nothing in there either.

　

There's creak on the ceiling and Jack curses himself for forgetting so quickly. He rechecks the house and finds the attic entrance.

　

Taking a steadying breath, Jack pulls the cord for the ladder down. The ladder clatters far too loudly in the seemingly empty house and Jack winces as he aims his weapon upwards towards where his enemy must be hiding.

　

Jack decides to try and get the man to come to a more even playing field, "Nigel! I know you're up there. Why don't you come down here so we can talk?"

　

Silence answers the agent and Jack becomes too restless to wait the other man out, so he takes the ladder up.

　

Jack pops up, gun pointed forwards as he looks around for his enemy. There's a blanket covering a window, the light barely making it through the fabric, making it difficult to see.

　

"Come on now, Nigel," Jack says seriously, as he waits for his eyes to adjust. "I thought you'd want to talk to me."

　

Something falls and Jack points his weapon towards the sounds.

　

'Rookie mistake,' Jack scolds himself as a blow hits him from the opposite side. His gun nearly falls out of his grip but he holds tight to it as he tries to round on where his enemy hit from. Something stings him in the neck and Jack shouts out in surprise and pain as he swings again and tries to hit his enemy. His gun smacks what feels like a leg and he hears Nigel shout as a body falls.

　

Jack pulls himself up all the way into the attic to point his gun at the other man.

　

"It's over, Nigel," Jack tells the man as the other man clutches at his leg. "You're going back to prison."

　

"For what?" Nigel laughs, letting go of his leg to stand. He opens his arms out wide. "I was released! I didn't escape."

　

"What about that woman you almost killed?" the agent points out angrily.

　

"There won't be any evidence pointed towards me," Nigel sounds offended the other man would think such a thing.

　

"You've got to be on some sort of parole," the agent adds, his hands suddenly sweaty and his eyelids feeling heavy. "This place is way out of your....range of...you..."

　

Nigel smiles as Jack's worlds turns dark. The agent falls backwards, his gun thumping against the floor shortly after his head.

　

The stalker pulls the ladder up to close the door. He then slides a bar into place, making it impossible to pull the door back down again. With that done, he takes Jack's gun and tucks it into his belt.

　

Nigel crouches down next to Jack and runs a finger over the man's face.

　

"Welcome home, Nick."

　

\---

　

"I don't have another copy of the address!"

　

Mac shoves the photo shop owner away in disgust. The man clearly had no morals and didn't care about the fact he just sent a man to a possibly dangerous situation.

　

"If I had known-"

　

"Save it!" Mac snaps as he strides out of the door. He didn't want to hear any lies.

　

He goes back to the car where Riley is working on her laptop.

　

"I got nothing from the man inside," Mac tells his teammate angrily. "There aren't even security cameras in there. The place is a shack."

　

"Well, good thing you have me," Riley smirks, eyes darting over the screen as she works.

　

"You figure out a way to track down Jack? He turned off his phone."

　

"Yes, but his car has On-Star."

　

"It isn't active. Jack doesn't have an account with them."

　

"True," the computer whiz allows as she continues to smirk. "But the previous owner, perhaps even the dealership, would have the car registered in the On-Star database in case the new owner was interested in activating it."

　

"So...?"

　

"So all I have to do is hack On-Star, activate Jack's vehicle service and use their GPS tracker to get a location. Which," she turns the computer triumphantly. "I just did."

　

"You're amazing, Riley," Mac runs to the driver's seat.

　

"Yes I am," Riley smiles, looking up the fastest routes to their destination. "While you drive, I'll also look into this 'Nigel Crane' case of Jack's. What did you say his cover name was again?"

　

"Nick Stokes."

　

\---

　

Jack's head clears first. His body is like a dead weight. He can feel everything but he can't move a muscle. His mind clears in a matter of moments, his hearing the last to stop buzzing to catch the sound of someone breathing nearby. When the agent opens his eyes, Nigel smiles at him from his spot right in front of his face.

　

"Sorry about drugging you, Nick," Nigel remarks with fake sincerity. "Don't bother trying to get up too soon, you won't be able to. I had a lovely chemist for a cell mate. That and the personal experience from the drugs the prison psychologist pumped into me gave me the opportunity to design the perfect cocktail for this meeting."

　

Jack swallows carefully and hopes his voice comes out strong, "What do you want, Nigel?"

The agent is glad that, at least, he can control how his words come out.

　

"Oh, oh, Nick, haven't you figured it out yet?" Nigel gets up to start pacing in front of his victim. "I want you. It's always been about you. I haven't been..." he laughs, putting steepled hands in front of his face. "I have not been able to stop thinking about you since our last encounter."

　

Nigel gets to his knees in front of Jack and the agent frowns when his body doesn't try to jump away like he wants it to.

　

"I must admit that the last time we spoke, I was a little unhinged," Nigel takes Jack's hand in his. Jack inwardly cringes because he can feel the contact but he can't move the hand at all. "But I'm better now. I know what I did wrong. I know why we never worked out."

　

Jack doesn't want to know. He really doesn't. But if it might save his life or at least get Nigel to let his hand go, he still asks, "What is that, Nigel?"

　

The man closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, "Every time you say my name it makes me feel so..." he opens his eyes, "invigorated."

　

Alarm bells ring in Jack's head, but he keeps his face calm as he repeats the question, "What did you figure out?"

　

"I was trying to BE you, Nick," the man explains, stroking one finger over the agent's knuckles gently. "But that was wrong. I shouldn't-never could, replace you. I should have tried to be WITH you."

　

'Not good. Not good. Not good.' Jack swallows again, "With me?"

　

"Oh, YES," Nigel nods fervently, hands moving to wrap around the back of Jack's neck. "You are the most fascinating man out there, Nick. You completely captivated me. I can't-I refuse even-Yes! I refuse to think of how my life would be if I never met you."

　

"Okay..." the agent tries to move his body, but it's still unresponsive. He glances down and realizes he's untied and just slumped against the wall. As soon as the drugs wear off, he'll be able to take down Nigel. "So, what does that mean? What exactly are your plans?"

　

"So full of questions," Nigel comments as his eyes dart to his captive's lips. "Does that mouth do anything other than talk?"

　

"W-wait a minute now, Nigel," Jack's mind violently rebels against what his captor is trying to imply. "We just got reacquainted. Don't you think we should take this slow?"

　

That's apparently the wrong thing to say, because Nigel immediately stands, his face red with anger and he slaps Jack hard across the face.

　

"You're just waiting to be taken from me again!" the stalker shouts in the agent's face. He slaps Jack again. "You were GLAD that those coppers jumped in and stopped me from killing myself. I thought that was because you didn't want me to die, but now I think it was because you wanted to do the job yourself!"

　

"I don't want to kill you, Nigel!" Jack barks back. "I also didn't want your brain matter all over my house. No one should ever want another person dead."

　

"Then why did you come after me?" Nigel tilts his head. "Why did you chase me down?"

　

"You came after me first," the agent counters evenly. "You showed up where I run. You left me clues to follow you. You wanted me here."

　

The stalker smiles, "That I did, Nick. But I didn't want you here. I NEEDED you here. With me. Where you belong."

　

Jack tries to move again, silently testing out his body for any strength. One of his fingers twitch and he tries to think of something else to say to draw the conversation out.

　

Unfortunately, Nigel has plans of his own. He moves to Jack's side and pushes the man forwards to get at him from the back. He hooks his arms under his captive's and drags Jack over to a bare mattress the agent didn't even realize was there.

　

"I'm done stalling," Nigel says breathlessly as he looks down at Jack's face. "I'm done dreaming and I'm done imagining. I am going to take you apart, Nick. I am going to strip you down. And I am going to see what sort of man you are."

　

Nigel puts a hand over Jack's top button and unhooks it while maintaining eye contact.

As Nigel slowly works his way down, Jack closes his eyes. He tries to lock out his senses and focus on moving his body, but it doesn't work.

All Jack can do is twitch another finger as his stalker slowly undresses him.

 

\---

　

"This Crane guy is a piece of work," Riley replies darkly as she and Mac exit the vehicle. "He hides in attics to secretly video tape his victims doing literally everything."

　

"So we check the attic first," Mac nods, heading for the back door.

　

"Why can't we go through the front?"

　

"Jack would've taken the back."

　

"If this guy knows about Jack as well as he claimed to, he might also know that he would take the back and there could be a trap waiting there."

　

"It's a risk I'm willing to take," Mac remarks as he reaches for the knob. "Besides," he carefully opens the door; no sign of danger. "The attic access should be closer to the back in this style of house."

　

"Right," Riley shakes her head in astonishment. "Of course you'd know something like that."

　

Mac leads the way in, eyes scanning for any signs of a scuffle or fight having taken place in the house. Every room he checks is pristine. He looks up at the hanging cord to pull down the attic steps, then motions for Riley to step back.

　

After his teammate steps far enough away, Mac takes hold of the cord and pulls.

　

Nothing happens.

　

He pulls harder and the cord breaks away in his hand. His anxiety skyrockets when he hears a noise of someone moving upstairs.

　

"Someone is definitely here," Riley whispers.

　

"Yeah," Mac nods, glaring down at the string in his hand. "And they've barricaded themselves in upstairs."

　

"We've got to get up there!" the computer whiz hisses.

　

"I know," the blonde agent starts looking through the rooms for another way in and to know what he was working with. Then he goes outside and walks the perimeter of the house to look for an outside entrance.

　

He stops when he sees it: a single window. There's something blocking him from seeing in, but pushing inwards through a window will be easier to do than pushing up towards a ceiling.

　

There are no fire ladders or house decorations to climb up, there isn't even a close enough tree to climb.

　

Riley nervously tucks a piece of hair behind her ear as she stares up at the window. "I called Thornton. She said back-up is ten minutes out."

　

"That might be too late for Jack," Mac's brain starts to run through his options as he speaks.

　

"Then how are we gonna do this, Mac?"

　

The blonde agent turns a playful smirk to his teammate, "You ever read or watch Batman?"

　

\- - -

　

'What was that?' Nigel pauses from untucking Jack's shirt. He moves to the barricaded door and frowns as someone tries to open it once more. He hears the cord snap, meaning he has at least a few more minutes before anyone interrupts him again.

　

Jack opens his mouth to shout at whoever is downstairs, but a ball of cloth is instantly shoved inside, muffling any attempts.

　

"Not so soon," Nigel chides the man. "Not this time."

　

Whatever the cloth is, it's clean; which Jack is grateful for. He tries to open his mouth larger to push the obstruction out, but he can't quite get it to work.

　

"I knew I should have waited-I KNEW!" Nigel snaps at himself, rummaging through a box to pull out something. He pushes a photo in Jack's face. "It's THEM, isn't it?"

　

The photo is the one of Mac, Jack, and Riley walking down the street. A copy of the one that Jack found with the 'X's over his friends' faces.

　

"I'm not blind, I SEE the way you LOOK at them!" Nigel growls, pulling the photo far enough away to point at Jack's image. "That LOOK, that LOVE in your eyes!"

　

The man rips the photo several times, letting the pieces fall over his victim's face.

　

"You were supposed to have it for ME!" Nigel grabs hold of Jack's throat. "Why can't you look at me that way?!"

　

Jack can't breathe. The cloth gag in his mouth combined with the added obstruction on his throat makes it impossible.

　

"You were my friend, MINE!" Nigel sobs as he pushes down harder. "You and I were going to run away together! We were going to fall in love! You were supposed to love me! Not them!"

　

Jack's vision is swimming where it isn't darkening around the edges. He tries to move, tries to at least roll over to knock Nigel off balance, but he's only up to a full hand twitch and can only lay there and pray, if that was Mac earlier, he would find a way to him at the last moment to save the day. Just like he always did.

　

\- - -

　

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Riley asks as she runs after her teammate who's holding a make-shift grappling hook. "Are refrigerator wires even going to hold your weight?"

　

"It's that or drag the fridge out here so I can climb up it," the blonde remarks as he starts to swing the hook. He throws it, it flies up and catches the high resting gutters. After two tugs to make sure it was secure, Mac starts to climb up the wire.

　

The blonde makes it to the roof and waves down to Riley, "Come on up!"

　

Mac doesn't wait for his teammate, though, he runs to the window to see if luck will have it unlocked.

　

Lady Luck is favoring him and he slides the window open, then goes in feet first behind a blanket.

　

He hears a man shouting, "You were supposed to love me! Not them!"

　

There's no response from Jack, so Mac rips the blanket out of the way and runs blindly towards where he heard the voice.

　

The blonde rams into one body and falls over another. He tries to squint in the darkness to see who he'd tackled and to hold his opponent down better. Whoever it is wiggles free and runs to the other side of the room.

　

"Angus MacGyver," the voice says with distain. "So it IS you. Come to ruin everything!"

　

Mac's eyes adjust enough to see Jack laying on a mattress nearby. His friend's shirt is completely undone, only part of the bottom still tucked into his jeans. The agent's stomach does a flip when it realizes what Nigel was going to do to his friend. He sees the gag next, so he lunges over and immediately pulls it out.

　

Jack gasps for breath, eyes fluttering open to blink up at his partner.

　

"Took ya long 'nough," Jack says with a rough voice. He doesn't move, which just adds to Mac's worry and concern. "Nigel gave me something. Can't move."

　

"I think that's enough male bonding for one day."

　

A gun clicks and Mac's head snaps up to glare at his opponent. Nigel is holding a gun at him, his hands shaking as he glares right back at the agent.

　

"This was supposed to be a get-away for me and Nick," the man's voice wavers like a love-scorned person. "I was going to finally learn all there was to know about him, but you-YOU!" Nigel spits. "You ran in here like the hero and want to take that away! You want to take Nick away from me again! NO!" the man steps forwards, hand still shaking as his breath catches in his throat. "No, I will not allow it. I will NOT!"

　

"Oh, shut up."

　

Nigel turns to the new voice, only to get slammed in the face by Riley's fist. The stalker goes down like a puppet without its strings. The computer whiz picks up the weapon before walking over to her friends.

　

"You okay there, old man?" Riley asks as she reaches Jack's side. She notices the man's attire and frowns, glancing over to Mac to see his reaction to it. The blonde starts re-doing Jack's buttons.

　

"Better now that y'all are here," Jack says as he lets out a tired breath. "It's been a long day."

　

"Well, it's about to get longer," Riley smiles as she reaches for her friend's wrist to check his pulse. She smiles when she feels the steady beat. "When Thornton gets her claws into you for running off on your own..."

　

"Not to mention the fact that we're going to be having a talk about you going solo," Mac adds as he finishes the last button. He puts a hand over his friend's heart, "This could've gone very bad, Jack. Why didn't you come to me?"

　

"It was my mess," the older agent wants to shrug, but he still can't move. "I didn't want you guys involved. I thought I could handle it."

　

"First," Riley snaps before Mac can. "We are part of a team. So, anything concerning you has us involved. Second," her voice falters for just a moment, but the two agents still notice it loud and clear. "You clearly could  **not** handle it."

　

"I'm sorry," Jack says quietly, wishing he could take it all back and that nothing had happened. Tears slide down the corners of his eyes as he stares straight up at the ceiling.

　

Mac and Riley can't find any other words to say after that so they sit at their friend's side until the paramedics arrive.

　

They both follow behind at an illegal distance, Riley trying to keep an eye on Jack through the small slits for windows on the emergency vehicle.

　

　

As the doctors run their tests, Mac and Riley pace the waiting room.

　

Thornton takes over Crane's case and assures her team that the man would be securly brought back to prison.

　

　

　

Four hours later, a nurse comes for them and brings them to Jack's room.

　

The older agent is passed out in the bed, looking too heathy for all the wires and tubes running to and from his body.

　

"The doctor will be with you shorty," the nurse tells them with a pleasant smile. "You can sit with Mr. Dalton until then."

　

"Thanks," Riley tells the woman, her eyes locked on Jack as Mac approaches the bed.

　

The nurse leaves them alone, closing the door to the private room when she does.

　

"Jack?" Mac takes his friend's hand in his and gives it a small squeeze. "You awake, buddy?"

　

Jack remains asleep.

　

"You think they gave him something to sleep the stuff off?" Riley asks as she takes the other side of the bed. "Or maybe this is it wearing off?"

　

"Or maybe I'm just trying to sleep and you two are annoying," Jack grumbles sleepily. He pulls a hand to his face, then smiles when he realizes what he just did. "I can move again. That's a plus."

　

"Don't think you can use your newfound mobility to get out of my lecture," Mac says seriously, not letting go of the other man's hand.

　

"Mac, I told you-"

　

"You didn't want us involved because you thought we'd worry," the blonde nods. "I know, Jack. I also know that was a stupid thing to think and I hope you realize that now as well."

　

"Way to give a guy time to recover," Riley remarks as Jack's face pales.

　

"Nah, I...I deserved that," Jack sighs. "Look, I'm....I'm really sorry for what I did. If you hadn't....If..." He shakes his head, unable to finish the thought.

　

"I never want you to keep things secret from me again," Mac tightens his grip once more on Jack's hand. "If you have a suspicion about someone after you, even if you think your mailman is a little shady, I want to know. You need to tell me, Jack."

　

The blonde waits for his friend to make eye contact before adding, "I'm serious."

　

"Got it," Jack nods minutely. "No more personal vendettas for me. You have my word."

　

Mac finally allows himself to relax, leaning back in his chair and letting go of his friend's hand.

　

　

Quiet stretches on too long as they continue to wait for the doctor. Riley pulls a seat over to the side of the bed and props her head on her hands.

"So...Other than crazy stalkers, what other sort of cases did you work on as 'Nick Stokes'?"

Jack smiles, "I once shot Justin Bieber."

"Get out."

"It's true!"

Mac frowns, "Who's Justin Bieber?"

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I know this is probably not as good as the last one but....Oh well....
> 
> Constructive Criticism is the only Negative Feedback I need. Thank you for your consideration.
> 
> **I am legally inclined to state: I own nothing.**


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